'Little boy from the countryside' Schuster makes Freiburg dream
· Yahoo Sports
Freiburg fans surged on to the pitch in ecstasy on Thursday after reaching a European final for the first time and later welcomed coach Julian Schuster into their packed fan block for a wild after-party.
The German club have never won a major trophy but will face Aston Villa in the Europa League final in Istanbul on May 20 after seeing off Braga.
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Much of their success is down to former captain Schuster, an internal appointment when long-time coach Christian Streich stepped down in 2024 after a lost German Cup final and near misses with Champions League qualification. A move to a new stadium has also helped Freiburg's growth.
A win over Villa and Champions League qualification is assured despite the Black Forest club sitting only seventh in the Bundesliga.
Schuster, 41, was stood with Germany icon Lothar Matthäus and ex-Germany coach Joachim Löw, a former Freiburg player, before kick-off and said he felt "like the little boy from the countryside" alongside them.
But now he has done what Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich could not do this season and booked a spot in a European final.
Schuster, who had never coached before at a major level, showed off his famed modesty by putting much of Freiburg's success down to Streich and his predecessors.
"I very much hope these people know exactly how much they contributed to what we all achieved together," Schuster said.
Despite Freiburg coming back from a 2-1 first leg deficit in Portugal to go through 4-3 on aggregate, it was not enough for the Bundesliga to snatch another extra Champions League spot off Spain for next term via UEFA coefficients.
Freiburg coach Julian Schuster reacts during the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg soccer match between SC Freiburg and SC Braga at Europa Park Stadium. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpaFreiburg Coach Julian Schuster gestures during the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg soccer match between SC Freiburg and SC Braga at Europa Park Stadium. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa